Clinical
Our clinical nursing articles aim to inform and educate nurse practitioners and students. This is achieved through the publication of peer-reviewed, evidence-based, relevant and topical articles.
Staff education by the critical care outreach team: evaluating the effect of a study...
Why you should read this article: • To refresh your knowledge of the history of, and rationale for, critical care outreach teams • To increase your awareness of the evidence on the effects of critical care outreach teams • To read about educational sessions provided by a critical care outreach team in an acute NHS trust Critical care outreach teams were developed in the UK from the early 2000s onwards in response to evidence that the management of severely ill patients on hospital wards before admission to the intensive care unit was frequently suboptimal. Most hospitals in the UK have some form of CCOT, which is usually composed of senior nurses with extensive critical care experience. One of the goals of CCOTs is to provide educational support to staff to enhance their skills at recognising and managing deteriorating patients. However, the evidence regarding the effects of CCOTs is conflicting. This article describes a service evaluation conducted at an acute NHS trust in England to assess the effects of educational sessions designed and delivered by the local CCOT. The CCOT offered a study day on non-invasive ventilation for patients with type 2 respiratory failure to a group of ten nurses from different clinical areas. A pre-and post-study day questionnaire showed that all participants had increased knowledge levels at the end of the study day. If positive effects of CCOT-led study days on nurses’ knowledge were consistently demonstrated, these study days could be considered as a practical and effective method of meeting the learning needs of nurses.
Screening and management of unintentional low-level carbon monoxide exposure in the...
The pathophysiology, signs and symptoms of patients with low-level carbon monoxide exposure
The effect of post-traumatic stress on quality of life of pre-hospital emergency staff
Determining the relationship between symptoms of PTSD and professional quality of life
Outcomes of ondansetron use in children with gastroenteritis in the emergency...
Findings of a literature review of outcomes of ondansetron use in children with gastroenteritis
Evaluating a new trauma and critical care management course for nurses
Developing the course and a discussion of the course evaluation findings
Hand injury: investigating the accuracy of referrals to a specialist trauma centre
Report on a service improvement project aiming to determine accuracy of hand injury referrals
Managing behaviour that challenges in people with dementia in the emergency department
Literature review on managing behaviour in people with dementia in emergency departments
Effectiveness of the sepsis six bundle in the management of acute adult sepsis in the UK
Literature review on the effectiveness of the sepsis six bundle in managing adults with sepsis and on clinician compliance
Assessment and management of metastatic bone cancer in emergency departments
The knowledge and skills required to care for patients with cancer
Improving the treatment of patients with dual diagnosis in emergency departments
Care of patients who present with symptoms arising from a combination of severe mental illness and substance misuse
Insights into nurses’ precarious emotional labour in the emergency department
Service demands such as four-hour wait targets add a further layer of complexity and pressure
Expanding the emergency nurse role to meet demand: nurse and physician perspectives
Attitudes towards an expanded role for registered nurses in the emergency department